--- F R E N D Z of martian --- PLEASE. Please write to your Senators! This is FEDERAL Legislation. For all those in Florida (and outside of it, for that matter), please write to Senator Bob Graham, the guy spearheading this legislation at [EMAIL PROTECTED] or call his office at 202-224-3041. The worrying thing isn't so much that it makes penalties for dealers more severe; the REALLY worrying thing is that it makes the people who are actually trying to HELP kids make their ecstasy use as safe as possible into CRIMINALS. This is NOT ACCEPTABLE! Moreover, the clause about "distributing information" has far-reaching potential for violating our Constitutional rights (not like Congress seems to give a shit about the Constitution anymore, nor the general populace) by the second-class intellects (if that) of most modern law enforcement. This is just further erosion of our rights, ensconced in a bill that's very thinly disguised to be "beneficial". We all know prohibition doesn't work. It's a historically proven fact; humans have been altering their state of mind whether for shamanistic or recreational purposes since we've stood upright, and probably even before that. People are going to put whatever in their bodies whether it is legally acceptable or not. So now they want to make ecstasy (a drug which is 10 times less dangerous, let alone less addictive, than the overwhelmingly neurotoxic, addictive -- and legal -- methyl alcohol) more dangerous for everyone by upping the antes within the ranks of suppliers, forcing down the quality, making the deadly PMA** analog much more prevalent and keeping the people who are going to use it *anyway* in the dark about precautions one must take. As the Drug Czar General Barry McCaffrey said, "Responsible drug use is un-American" (seriously). I guess that means killing off American youth *is* American? (Seeing the lack of *decent* legislation on gun control, I guess it must be, but we won't go there right now). So please do something -- shrug off the engineered apathy of our generation and fight against the slow usurping of our rights! We *can* do something about this. As the teachings of Jesus were perverted, so have been the intentions of the Founding Fathers of this nation, slowly re-interpreted and turned around 180 degrees to work in favor for the people in power with all the bad intentions. Just contact Senator Bob Graham, even if you may be cynical about its effectiveness. Even if you just write, "The Anti-Ecstasy Bill is a bad idea and all my friends and my entire immediate and extended family will not vote for you because of it," it will only take a minute. At least you can say you didn't sit back on your haunches while you watched your right to do and think for yourself be taken away. It doesn't just affect people who take, or even know about ecstasy. This affects *everyone*. Thank You, Mercedes ** For articles on PMA (Para-methoxy-amphetamine, 4-MA), refer to http://www.erowid.org/chemicals/pma/pma.shtml >From: Anneliese Tolbert <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >Subject: Fwd: [Fwd: Anti-Ecstasy and Anti-Free Speech Bill Introduced in >Senate] >Date: Tue, 6 Jun 2000 05:55:26 -0700 (PDT) >MIME-Version: 1.0 >Received: from [198.3.99.203] by hotmail.com (3.2) with ESMTP id >MHotMailBB063F51006BD820F3A6C60363CBDFFA0; Tue Jun 06 05:53:37 2000 >Received: from ally.excite.com ([199.172.148.156]) by fortune.excite.com > (InterMail vM.4.01.02.39 201-229-119-122) with ESMTP id ><[EMAIL PROTECTED]> for ><[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; Tue, 6 Jun 2000 05:55:26 -0700 >From [EMAIL PROTECTED] Tue Jun 06 05:55:11 2000 >Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >X-Mailer: Excite Inbox >X-Sender-Ip: 12.8.17.2 > > >----- Original Message ----- > > Date: Tue, 06 Jun 2000 08:39:57 -0400 > > From: Emily Romano <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > Subject: [Fwd: Anti-Ecstasy and Anti-Free Speech Bill Introduced in >Senate] > > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > Message-id: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > > > Please write and/or call Bill Graham and get many friends to do this as > > well (hold a calling party at your house?:)) > > > > I am in danger of going to jail for 10 years for doing Dancesafe stuff > > because this Bill is likely to pass:( > > > > Em > > Date: Mon, 05 Jun 2000 19:29:59 -0700 > > From: Alchemind Society <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > Subject: Anti-Ecstasy and Anti-Free Speech Bill Introduced in Senate > > To: <Undisclosed-Recipient:;> > > Message-id: <002601bfcf5f$2a594740$71f096a8@omsoft> > > > > FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE >June >6, 2000 > > > > > > > > > > > > New Federal Anti-Ecstasy Bill > > Extends "Zero-Tolerance" to Criminalize Free Speech > > > > > > > > CALIFORNIA -- Following the lead of the National Institute of Drug >Abuse >(NIDA), US Customs, and the DEA, and prompted by recent media attention >regarding the drug ecstasy (MDMA), Senator Bill Graham of Florida (along >with co-sponsors Grassley, Thomas and Biden) have introduced legislation >calling for stiffer prison terms for ecstasy-related offenses and a >blackout >on certain information concerning the drug. > > > > Under The Ecstasy Anti-Proliferation Act of 2000 (S 2612): > > > > * Federal sentences for ecstasy-related offenses would be >significantly >increased so that they are equal to the punishment imposed for federal >methamphetamine-related offenses. (Another section of the Bill orders >increased punishment for GHB and GBL-related offenses). > > > > * Certain information concerning any "controlled substance" - not >just >ecstasy-would effectively be outlawed. Specifically, Section 6 of the >Ecstasy Anti-Proliferation Act would make it a federal crime, punishable by >up to 10 years in federal prison and a fine, to: > > > > "(a) teach or demonstrate the manufacture of a controlled substance, >or >to distribute by any means information pertaining to, in whole or in part, >the manufacture, acquisition, or use of a controlled substance, with the >intent that the teaching, demonstration, or information be used for, or in >furtherance of, an activity that constitutes a crime; or > > > > (b) teach or demonstrate to any person the manufacture of a >controlled >substance, or to distribute to any person, by any means, information >pertaining to, in whole or in part, the manufacture, acquisition, or use of >a controlled substance, knowing or having reason to know that such person >intends to use the teaching, demonstration, or information for, or in >furtherance of, an activity that constitutes an offense." > > > > * $5,000,000 will be allocated for training police to recognize and >combat ecstasy, and for conducting school- and community-based anti-ecstasy >classes. > > > > Similar to the anti-methamphetamine bills currently pending in the >House >and Senate, The Ecstasy Anti-Proliferation Act would make it a federal >crime >to disseminate harm reduction and/or responsible use information concerning >ecstasy and other controlled substances, including medical marijuana. > > > > "The Ecstasy Anti-Proliferation Act ought to be renamed the >Harm-Enhancement Anti-Free Speech Act," said Richard Glen Boire, an >attorney >with the Center for Cognitive Liberty and Ethics, a law and policy center >based in California. "Many of the deaths associated with MDMA can, in part, >be attributed to the government's zero-tolerance drug policy, which makes >it >hard for ecstasy users to get accurate information about how to reduce the >harms associated with ecstasy use. Criminalization has also produced a >black >market with wide-spread adulteration of the pills and powders that are sold >as 'ecstasy.' Threatening to put someone in prison for ten years for >disseminating harm reduction information about ecstasy (or any other drug), >not only violates the First Amendment, it puts our children at increased >risk." > > > > Currently, federal sentencing guidelines recognize that not all >controlled substances pose the same harms, and that offenses involving the >most harmful substances should receive the harshest punishment. For >example, >crimes involving marijuana are treated less harshly than the same crimes >involving cocaine. > > > > "Inasmuch as the drug ecstasy is nonaddictive and is not associated >with >violence, it makes no sense to equate it with methamphetamine - a drug >which >is highly addictive and which can produce violent behavior in some users," >said Boire. "There is simply no comparison between ecstasy and >methamphetamine." > > > > Prior to being outlawed (and before it was given the street name >"ecstasy") MDMA showed promise as an adjunct to psychotherapy. However, >since its outlawing in 1986, scientific research on the drug has ground to >a >halt while illegal use has skyrocketed. On March 12 of this year, the US >Customs Office reported that seizures of ecstasy bound for the United >States >soared in the first three months of 2000. > > > > "Outlawing MDMA has been a total failure," said Boire. "Rather than >ratchet up the punishment for ecstasy offenses, and scurry to outlaw >important information about the drug, Congress ought to be considering a >realistic and workable policy that is aimed at providing as much accurate >information as possible and which aims to reduce the harm associated with >using ecstasy. The current 'zero-tolerance' Prohibition policy is >irresponsible, unworkable, and exacerbates the problems that drugs such as >ecstasy pose to individuals and to society." > > > > For more information about the Ecstasy Anti-Proliferation Act of 2000, >visit: > > >http://www.cognitiveliberty.org/lawlibrary/bills/antiecstasybill/antiecstasyindex.htm > > > > About the Center for Cognitive Liberty & Ethics > > > > The Center for Cognitive Liberty and Ethics is a nonprofit law and >policy >center working in the public interest to protect fundamental civil >liberties. The Center seeks to foster cognitive liberty - the basic human >right to unrestrained independent thinking, including the right to control >one's own mental processes and to experience the full spectrum of possible >thought. > > > > > > > > Contact Information: > > Web-site: www.alchemind.org > > Telephone: 1-888-950-MIND (6463) > > Fax: 530-686-8265 > > e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > > > > >_______________________________________________________ >Get 100% FREE Internet Access powered by Excite >Visit http://freelane.excite.com/freeisp > ________________________________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com -- Sent to you via the frendz list at marsbard.com The archive is at http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/
